Mantegna



Sept. 1958 A. MANTEGNA Re. 24,529

- SEAT CUSHIONS Original Filed July 29. 1953 INVENTOR. AKTuRoMAn-rEs-r/A BY United States Patent Ofilice Re. 24,529 Reissued Sept. 2,1958v SEAT CUSHIONS Arturo Mantegna, Milan, Italy Original No.2,775,287, dated December 25, 1956, Serial No. 371,085, July 29, 1953.Application for reissue December 18, 1957, Serial No. 704,858

Claims priority, application Italy August 8, 1952 Claims. (Cl. 155-179)Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in the original patent butforms no part of this reissue specification; matter printed in italicsindicates the additions made by reissue.

This invention relates to cushions in general and more specifically itrelates to certain new and useful resilient bodies which serve forsupporting the human body and for other purposes.

More specifically, my present invention is related to cushion meanswhich serve as seat and/ or back members for vehicle seats and for anyother purposes in which a resilient cushion means may be requested ordesired, and it has for an important object thereof the provision of anovel and improved cushion means of the character referred to above, bywhich a quite comfortable support is attained by the combination of alower resilient assembly comprising a plurality of coil compressionworking springs evenly arranged on and supported by a base member, andof an upper compound cover assembly comprising a relatively thin layerof sponge rubber or similarly soft material and screen means arrangedsubstantially between the upper ends of said coil springs and the lowersurface of said layer so as to uniformly distribute the upliftingpressures localized on the spaced upper ends of said coil springs on thewhole surface of said cover assembly.

In most of seat cushions heretofore produced and applied to cars,busses, road and rail carriages, planes and to easy-chairs and otherconventional pieces of furniture, the resilient cushion member forcovering the seat frame structure and for direct supporting of the humanbody comprises a lower resilient assembly in which the resilient meansis formed by a plurality of coil springs evenly arranged in spacedrelationship and designed to resiliently support a cover member upon arigid plate of a frame base member, connected to or more integral withthe said seat frame structure.

Said cover member is designed to give to the supported human body acomfortable lift and to avoid that the said spaced coil springs mayexert on the oversitting human body a plurality of perceptible upliftingpressures localized on the tips of any or of the most loaded coilspring. According to current art, said cover member is made in the formof a substantially thick layer of felt, textile material, fabric,leather and the like, having a certain tensionresisting character and aninherent softness. Said conventional cover members are subject to thecommon objection that the cushion is made heavy, pretty expensive, andair-tight and that moisture, water and perspiration may deterioratesame. The air-tightness of said conventional cover members makes theseat uncomfortable in the summer time, in torrid zones and the like.

A certain improvement in manufacture of seats of the character and forthe uses above described has been heretofore attained by the use of theso-called sponge-rubber material as resilient means therefor. Saidmaterial is, however, subject to the objection that its extreme softnessmakes it unsuitable for covering an assembly comprising the said coilsprings and for rendering imperceptible the spaced tips thereof insitting thereupon. But by constructing said cover member in the form ofan excessively thick layer, the whole cushion means is made excessivelyhigh and the producing thereof excessively expensive. To overcome theabove said common objection there have been heretofore produced seatcushions in which the resilient assembly is actuated by one shaped pieceof sponge rubber.

Said one-piece cushions are, however, subject to some objections in viewof expensiveness, of excessive softness and poor progressive liftingpower, and of poor stability of the supported load, the upper surface ofsaid one-piece cushions being subject to laterally move and to bend inany direction.

Having the above objections in view, an object of this invention is theprovision of a novel and improved seat cushion compound member in which,according to the combination above touched upon, a relatively thin uppercover member of sponge rubber or like material is supported by aplurality of spaced coil springs through a flexible and tension,resistant medium layer, such as a metallic screen for example, the saidmedium forming a pressure resistant surface upon which the saidlocalization of the spaced resting points actuated by the several spacedcoil spring tips are not perceptible by the oversitting human body.

Of course a cushion means produced according to this invention andcomprising the above said substantial combination of elements may findother useful applications, such as back cushion for seats, for example.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a seat cushion ofthe type described in which the amount of sponge rubber required in themanufacture thereof is greatly reduced in respect to the amountcomprised in said one-piece seat cushions.

A still other object of the invention is the provision of an article ofmanufacture of the character described in which an outer cover means offabric or other tension resisting and pliable material is provided toconnect the outline of said upper sponge rubber cover member to theoutline of the said base member, for giving the desired shape to thewhole cushion, confining its raising when unloaded and preventing unduedistortion thereof,

A further object of the invention is the provision of a seat cushionproduced by said combination and in which an ample space beneath thecover member, a cover member made of sponge-like material, and otheruseful features allowing a full ventilation and cooling of the cushionare provided, so that said cushion may be advantageously used in thesummer time, in torrid zones and warm climate and/or conditions.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a seatcushion in which by applying the above said novel and advantageouscombination a remarkable saving in weight of the article of manufactureis attained, thus making said cushion suitable for airplanes and'allother fields of practical use in which weight saving is most desired.

An important object of the invention is also the provision of a novelmethod of manufacture of seat cushions of the character referred toabove, comprising the steps of making said screen medium layer integralwith the upper sponge rubber cover member by vulcanization thereof.

Further, it is another object of the invention to provide a simplifiedconstruction of articles of manufacture of the character described,which maybe readily manufactured with standard shop machines, thusreducing the cost of manufacture.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, theinvention consists in the features, coma binations, details ofconstructions and arrangements of parts which will first be described inconnection with the accompanying drawings and then more particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

:In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective longitudinal sectional view of a preferredform of embodiment of this invention, actuating a seat cushion suitablefor vehicles, for example, and provided with a back cushion of likeconstruction;

Figure 2 is a perspective transverse sectional view of a modified formof embodiment of the invention, and

Figure 3 is a perspective exploded view of the combination of elementscomprised in the form of embodiment shown in said Fig. 2.

In the drawing, like reference characters refer to like parts throughoutthe several figures. Further, in the drawings numeral indicates the basemember and numeral 11 the plurality of compression working coil springsarranged on and supported by said base member, for springably supportingthe cover member forming the outer load supporting surface of thecushion.

Said base member 10 and the several springs of said plurality are drawnin a rather diagrarnmatical way, in consideration of the fact that saidmembers, the combination and the relative arrangement thereof may be andpreferably are produced by applying current knowledge in the art.

In actual construction of a cushion according to this invention, Ipreferably make use of a base member 10 constructed in the form of awooden frame, although a metallic frame, a plate member and any otherstructure known to those skilled in the art may be made use of, ifdesired. Further, the plurality of coil springs may be directlyconnected to and supported by a base forming element integral with orforming part of the seat or the chair structure, for example.

In the plurality [11] of coil springs 11 any single spring will bepreferably arranged side by side to the adjacent ones, and the use ofinter-locked coil springs will be particularly advantageous. Anarrangement of springs in which the end loops of the coil-forming wireare positioned on the lower ends only is desirable, so that the upperportions of said springs present to the superimposed cover compoundmembers a smooth and nonprojecting netlike surface.

According to this invention, in combination with the said assembly,comprising member 10 and a plurality of springs 11, the seat cushioncomprises a compound cover member having an upper layer 12 and a lowerlayer 13, according to the basic combination and arrangement shown inFig. 1.

The said upper layer 12 is made of a material of pref- 4 by the use ofan upper layer formed by a couch of sponge rubber approximately /2 inchthick, a quite comfortable seat is attained and the tips of compressionworking coil erably great softness, light weight and permeable to air,

such as for example sponge rubber. Other materials may be moreover usedin producing said upper layers, provided that a suitable resiliency isattained, plain or alveolate rubber, resilient plastics and so on. Theinherent softness of said upper layer 12 makes the contact with theupper surface thereof comfortable.

The said lower layer 13 is designed to form a medium through which theweight of the load, and in particular the human body weighing down onsaid upper layer 12,

is transmitted to the coil spring members arranged there beneath.Preferably said lower layer 13 is made of a metallic network or screenformed by a plurality of intercrossing and closely spaced steel wires,for example, or other material having tension resisting characteristicsufficient to provide a supporting surface by which the several spacedsupporting points of the coil springs tips are interconnected and bywhich the said upper layer 12 is supported in a substantially uniformway at any point thereof.

In practice, by the use of a steel or iron screen in which the spacingof network is say one eighth of an inch, and

spring members spaced approximately two inches are absolutely notperceptible by the oversitting human body.

The said screen made or equivalent lower layer 13 may be connected tothe lower surface of the sponge rubber made or equivalent upper layer 12by any suitable means, by adhesive tape, for example. The connection maybe, made on the periphery of said lower layer 13 or on a plurality ofpositions spaced along said periphery. In the preferred form ofembodiment of the invention, shown in Fig. 2, the said lower layer isconstructed in the form of a metallic screen 13 and it is made integralwith the said upper layer, by embodying said screen 13' in the lowerportion of the sponge rubber couch 13 forming said upper layer duringthe moulding and vulcanizing thereof.

In the form of embodiment shown in all figures of the accompanyingdrawings, the sponge rubber member forming the said upper layer isprovided with downturned edge portions 14 to shape the outer surface ofthe cushion in the desired conventional peripherically rounded shape andto provide the seat and/or the back cushion thereof with a smooth andresilient out-lining. The said down-turned portions 14 may be downwardlyextended until the edge thereof may contact with and be connected to theedge of the base member 19, if desired, or said portions may be limitedto the rounded portion of outer surface of the cushion, as shown.

A compound cover member according to this invention is peripherallyconnected to the under placed base member by tension resisting andcollapsible means, for protection of the assembly of springs and to giveto the cushion its desired shape, the said tension resisting meanslimiting the upward movement of said cover member when the cushion isunloaded. Preferably, said connecting means are formed by a fabric striparranged about the cushion and connected either to the periphery of thesaid base member and of said compound cover member.

Preferably, I provide a seat cushion according to the invention with acomplete textile covering means 15', adhering to the whole outer surfaceof upper layer and downwardly extending thereabout with portions to, thelower edges of which are nailed or otherwise firmly connected to theperipheral portion of base member .19. The zone of said portions 16,comprised between the edge of base member 10 and the lower edge ofdown-turned extensions 14 of upper member 12, are fully collapsible assaid compound cover member gets lower under the load.

Owing to the construction above described and in particular to therelatively reduced thickness of the soft upper layer 12 or 12', a seatproduced according to the invention is particularly suitable for vehicleuse. The outer surface, upon which the human body rests, is smooth andsoft and provides a comfortable supporting and contacting surface. Thereduced thickness of the soft material prevents any transversedeformation and movement of said surface under the dynamic effect ofvehicles acceleration and abrupt slowing down (said deformation andmovement being a serious disadvantage to which conventional one-pieceseat cushions are subject). The main spring system formed by theplurality of coil springs gives a properly progressive uplift so thatfelt or other poorly-wearing material is not required in theconstruction.

In a preferred method of manufacture of a seat cushion of the characterdescribed, a piece of unvulcanized or partially vulcanized rubber,roughly shaped in the form of member 12 of Fig. 3, is put into avulcanizing mould between a fabric forming the outer covering 15 and ascreen forming the medium layer 13'. By applying heat and pressure,according to current art, the vulcanizing step is then performed and bysaid step the said screen 1s embedded or incorporated into the rubbernear the lower surface thereof and the fabric is also embedded in thesame rubber adjacent to its upper surface.

The compound article thus produced is then placed upon the assemblycomprising base member and the plurality of springs 11, and the outerportions of fabric are connected to the periphery of said base member.

A seat cushion of the character described will be completed and finishedby applying, according to current knowledge, a leather, or plastic, orfabric protective and/or ornamental covering, which may be glued orotherwise connected to or made integral with outer covering 15, 16, ifdesired.

In the case of use of the seat in torrid zones and the like, where aneffective cooling of the cushion and/or of the back thereof isdesirable, the outer covering or coverings and the upper layer may besubstantially perforated, the screen formed lower layer allowing fullair to flow through all superimposed strata, so that the resiliency andthe comfortableness of the seat are not adversely affected.

While I have illustrated and described the invention in a few preferredforms of embodiment thereof, I do not intend to be limited to thedetails shown, since various other modifications and structural changesmay be made without departing in any case from the spirit of myinvention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing Will so fully reveal the gist ofmy invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adaptit for various applications without omitting features that, from thestandpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics ofthis invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intendedto be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of thefollowing claims.

What I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent is:

1. A seat cushion comprising, in combination, a rigid base member, aplurality of coil spring members uniformly arranged and spaced on saidbase member, each of said springs having one end thereof connected tosaid base member;' and a resilient member extending substantially overthe entire base member and being supported by the free ends of said coilspring members, said resilient member including a layer of foam plasticmaterial and a metallic screen secured thereto over at least one faceunattached to said rigid base.

2. A seat cushion comprising, in combination, a rigid base member, aplurality of coil spring members uniformly arranged and spaced on saidbase member, each of said springs having one end thereof connected tosaid base member; and a resilient member extending substantially overthe entire base member and being supported by the free ends of said coilspring members, said resilient member including a layer of foam rubbermaterial and a metallic screen vulcanized thereto over at least one faceunattached to said rigid base.

3. A seat cushion comprising, in combination, a rigid base member, aplurality of coil spring members uniformly arranged and spaced on saidbase member, each of said springs having one end thereof connected tosaid base member; and a resilient member having an upper and lowersurface and extending substantially over the entire base member saidresilient member being supported at its lower surface by the free endsof said coil spring members, said resilient member including a layer offoam rubber material and a wire mesh vulcanized near the lower surfaceof said sponge rubber.

4. A seat cushion comprising, in combination, a rigid base member, aplurality of coil spring members uniformly arranged and spaced on saidbase member, each of said springs having one end thereof connected tosaid base member; a resilient member extending substantially over theentire base member and being supported by the free ends of said coilspring members, said resilient member including a layer of foam plasticmaterial and a metallic screen secured thereto over at least one faceunattached to said rigid base; and a cover member attached to theperiphery of said base member, completely covering said resilient memberand restricting the upward motion thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said cover member is made of afabric and is permanently bonded to the upper surface of said resilientmember.

6. A cushion comprising, in combination, a base member, a plurality ofspring members secured to said base member to form a resilient seatingarea, and a resilient member extending substantially over the entirebase member and being supported by said spring members, said resilientmember including a layer of foam material having a metal screen securedthereto over the face adjacent to said spring members.

7. In a cushion construction, a base member, a plurality of springmembers supported on said base member, and a resilient member extendingover said spring member including a layer of foam rubberlike materialand a metallic screen secured over one face thereof.

8. In a cushion construction, a base member, a plurality of springmembers secured to said base member, and a resilient member having anupper and lower surface and extending over and being supported by saidspring members, said resilient member including a layer of foamrubberlike material and a wire mesh vulcanized near the lower surface ofsaid material.

9. In a cushion construction, a base member, a plurality of springmembers supported by said base member, and a resilient member extendingover said base member and supported by said spring members, saidresilient member including a layer of foam rubberlike material having ametallic screen secured thereto over the lower face thereof, and a covermember attached to the periphery of said base member and enclosing saidresilient member References Cited in the file of this patent or theoriginal patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,610,286 Hood et a1. Dec. 14,1926 2,031,175 Stubnitz Feb. 25, 1936 2,283,116 Young May 12, 1942

